9.06.2008

Chevrolet may have inspired more songs than any other car make, but it seems very unlikely that an Aveo will ever act as a muse to an aspiring songwriter.

While there is nothing downright bad about it, there is a huge list of things that just aren't quite right about it. Neither engine really shifts it, and the drive is uninspiring, to say the least, but that's just the start of it. Throw in the rather tight rear accommodation and the lack of refinement, and you're looking at a car that already feels behind the times before it's even gone on sale.

Rating

When you consider that, for much the same money as a basic Aveo, you could buy something like a Skoda Fabia, a Kia Rio or even a Vauxhall Corsa, it's not hard to see that there are plenty of better ways to spend your money than on an Aveo. Perhaps more than anything, the Aveo serves only to show just how far the budget end of the market has moved on.

If the final price turns out to be a good deal cheaper than first estimates, perhaps that might change. But, even with an estimated starting price of £7500 - which is low in anyone's book - it's hard to overlook the Aveo's shortcomings.

With the likes of Hyundai and Kia now offering some seriously good cars at the budget end of the market, the Aveo has to be exceptional to stand out. Simply having a low price is no longer good enough.

And, at least on first impression, the Aveo looks perfectly reasonable. It may not be the most stylish shape on the streets, but it's certainly presentable, and things like some dashes of chrome, body-coloured door handles and the 'air intakes' ahead of the wing mirrors go some way to smartening up its basic shape.

There's even something of an Audi-esque look to new grille, but that's as far as the Audi comparison goes. Inside, it's only too obvious that this is a car at the budget end of the market. Everything from the dash to the door trims seems built from cheap, hard plastics - well built, admittedly, but still far from attractive.

At least, the controls are all easy to use and there's a decent amount of room in the front seats, so you're not short-changed there. Head- and legroom are both fine, and even though you sit quite high and the steering wheel adjusts for height only, the driving position is good.

Climb into the back, though, and the news isn't so good. Behind a six-foot driver, room in the back is quite cramped, and another six-footer will have their knees firmly embedded in the back of the front seat and their head rubbing the roof lining. A family with two young kids might not worry too much, but once those same kids hit their late teens, they won't be happy in the back of an Aveo.

Likewise, although the boot is a decent size, taking advantage of the full space on offer is not easy. While the rear seat back is split 60/40, the base is in one piece and awkward to tumble and roll up against the front seat because, firstly, you need to release the central rear seat belt and, secondly, you need to slide the front seats forward a little.

Again, when you come to drive the Aveo, it's a case of disappointment. True, it's not downright bad, but it's certainly a long way from enjoyable. For a start, neither of the engines gives it much in the way of performance.

While that perhaps comes as no great surprise in the 1.2, what is a surprise is that the 1.4 felt no quicker, despite having quite an advantage in power and torque on paper. What's more, the 1.4 also suffered from a slower gearchange and a firmer ride, so if we were making a choice between the two, we'd save our pennies and go for the smaller-engined car.

However, that's not to say even that version is without its shortcomings. On the contrary, like the 1.4, it suffers from an awful lot of poorly controlled body roll in corners. But, more than that, its steering has no feel and there's too much noise at motorway speeds.

You might argue that you expect to cut a few corners when you buy a budget car, but the truth is that you can spend similarly small amounts of money on other cars and not have to make such sacrifices.

The Aveo may not be a familiar name to us Brits, but the car that now carries that name is not totally new. You see, what has happened here is that Chevrolet is now doing a Vauxhall and giving its cars the same name right across Europe. So, just as we now drive a Corsa and not a Nova, so in the future we'll drive an Aveo rather than a Kalos.

Yes, that's right, for all the company's talk of a 'new car', the Aveo is basically a heavily facelifted Chevrolet Kalos - and that started life in the UK as a Daewoo. So, the Aveo isn't strictly a new car at all.

On the other hand, there are certainly plenty of new bits, not least of which is the new nose, which is our first sight of the new global look for the company's cars, with a horizontally split grille. Beyond that, there's also a new engine - the 84bhp 1.2-litre petrol unit - that promises more power and better economy than the old 1.2. Perhaps most significantly, though, the Aveo is the first modern Chevy to be built in Europe, at a plant in Warsaw, Poland.

At launch, there will be a choice of just two petrol engines, a 101bhp 1.4 joining the new 1.2, and Chevrolet is expected to offer three trim levels, the basic S, followed by the LS and LT, the last of which is available only with an automatic gearbox.

It's not ugly by any standards but it does look dated. The front holds similarities to the 2003 face lifted Fiat Punto which, although good looking at the time, only serves to show how behind the Aveo is with its styling.

HANDLING

Nothing to write home about really, as once you get past the masses of body roll, the car feels numb and lifeless. It lacks feeling through the steering wheel which makes driving around twisty B roads a disappointing experience.

COMFORT

Again, not a strong point, but it depends how far you intend to go. The ride is noticeably hard - more so on the 1.4's larger wheels - and the interior is not somewhere you'd want to spend much time. However, road and wind noise are not too much of a problem, so the cabin is relatively quiet.

QUALITY + RELIABILITY

Despite the materials, the Aveo has actually been well put together and feels fairly solid. Plus there's no history of unreliability so durability shouldn't be an issue with this car.

PERFORMANCE

Neither of the engines provides much in the way of performance - the 1.4 not feeling much quicker than the 1.2 despite all the figures suggesting otherwise. Once you get going, the 1.2 is noisy at motorway speeds.

ROOMINESS

Space is plentiful in the front; both head and legroom are good. However, the rear seats are a different story, as anyone over six foot will struggle to get comfortable and with a tall adult in the driver's seat, anyone sat behind will have little, if any, legroom.

RUNNING COSTS

There's no mistaking that this car is cheap, and according to the figures, all of the manual models will achieve over 47mpg (some over 50mpg). Road tax is average however, as the range sits in VED band C, costing around £120 per year.

VALUE FOR MONEY

There isn't a shortage of equipment with the Aveo: the £8,845 mid spec LS comes with items like air con, electric rear windows, electric and heated door mirrors, 15-inch wheels and trip computer. However, to get the top LT spec, you'll have to have the larger engine which has a starting price of over £9k. Plus, the Aveo won't be on the desirability radar so residuals are likely to be poor.

STEREO / SAT NAV

Most of the problem stems from poor sounding speakers rather than the stereo itself, which is easy to use and does everything you would expect. Sat nav is not available even as an option.

ENVIRONMENT

All models are capable of under 140g/km except the automatic version, which produces 152g/km CO2. There is no diesel option available, which is a shame as a small unit could offer even better fuel economy and CO2 - plus it might benefit performance too.

Not recommended. Looks can deceive and, despite the seemingly affordable price tag, you only get what you pay for. Unfortunately, this really is nothing more than a budget motor.

It's quite an odd experience to be listening to county singers crooning about riding in their Chevys, and rather depressing when you consider that Chevrolet used to make cool cars that were actually worth singing about. Sadly, in Europe at least, it's been reduced to selling what used to be known as Daewoos in order to make some money - but then you, can't blame them for wanting to earn a buck. So Chevys are now functional rather than cool, but that does not mean they can't be good - and the company promises the Aveo is a big step forward from the Daewoo era. On first impressions, it certainly has decent enough looks to make it in the competitive small car segment, and its £7,695 starting price appears to be good value.

However, get inside and the Aveo is massively disappointing. The dash and doors are covered in hard plastic, which both looks and feels cheap. There are still parts of this car that hint at the company's Daewoo days, and it is these areas that really let this car down. The dash isn't entirely unattractive and could have been successful, but it feels rushed and unfinished. Where simple chrome details have worked on the new exterior, they haven't inside. The basic controls are where they should be and functional, but nevertheless, it does feel like a budget car. On the upside though, it has been solidly put together and there aren't too many creaks and rattles whilst driving.

It's spacious enough in the front, but six-footers will find little room in the rear and to drive, they will need to have the seat back as far as it goes, leaving no room for anyone sitting behind. The boot is a decent size and the 60/40 split rear seats add further luggage space. Although the driving position is generally good, the seat sits quite high and the gear stick is set back slightly, which can feel odd. The cars steering feels oddly heavy at slower speeds and, although as you get going it does get lighter, it then feels quite unresponsive. The brakes are a little numb too; they need a good shove to slow the car down at low speeds, but they do seem to be more responsive when braking from higher speeds.

Neither of the petrol engines gives the car much in the way of performance, often needing to be revved hard to get much out of them. The car also feels untidy through corners, suffering a lot of body roll, and considering the minimal benefit to the cars handling, it has a rather firm ride. Of the two engines, we'd pick the smaller petrol unit as the 1.4 doesn't feel that much quicker. Plus at £9,000 it puts it within reach of the entry-level prices of the Fiesta and Mazda2-end of the segment, and it simply can't compete.

Overall, there's nothing truly awful about this car, but ultimately it doesn't quite cut it with others in this segment. It might well be cheap, but it isn't especially cheerful.

9.03.2008

Do you know how Chevrolet Aveo logo looks? I'm sure, you just thought of this image:And if I told you about the following logo, you'd say I'm crazy)))But look at the Chevrolet Aveo LS photos below!Closer view:Huh!:-)